Reversal:  The Return of the Jedi
by mandrina
Summary: The third of the trilogy, the adventures of Leia Skywalker, Jedi Knight and Luke Organa, Prince of Alderaan  Rated T for safety, mention of rape.
1. Chapter 1

THE RETURN OF THE JEDI

The droids went in first, early in the morning, carrying a message from Jedi Leia Skywalker, who wished to meet with His Excellency Jabba the Hutt and negotiate the release of Han Solo, to the betterment of both parties. The droids were a gift to seal the bargain to meet. Jabba chuckled ominously and the two droids were put to work in his desert stronghold, C-3PO as the protocol droid, and R2D2 on the sailbarge.

That afternoon, His Highness Luke Organa requested an audience with Jabba for similar reasons as the Jedi. He came in wearing the full diplomatic robes of Alderaan, carrying a blaster and his own reputation as protection. Jabba was amused, listened politely, and then made a motion. The next thing the young prince apparently knew, he was sitting chained to a small slab of concrete next to Jabba's concrete slab as a capture for ransom to

be admired until the money came. It wasn't comfortable, but at least he was where he expected to be. He shifted around on the slab until he found the least uncomfortable way to sit, and waited. He was close to Jabba and had plenty of time to reconnoiter the room and plan what he would do next.

Late the next morning, the bounty hunter came in with Chewbacca, demanding the bounty for his capture. THe armor was well known, Boushh, an Ubese male. Like most bounty hunters, he wore a helmet that provided translation to Galactic Standard when the hunter so desired. He was well armed and armored. And he wanted fifty thousand rather than 25. When Jabba demanded why, he brought out a thermal detonator, armed. Jabba chuckled.

"This is my kind of scum." and offered 35, which, fortunately for 3PO who was picking himself up off the floor for the 4th time, the hunter agreed to. A black human guard escorted the captive wookie to a cell. Boba Fett inclined his head to him in deference to a job well done. He joined him at a table, placing a drink in front of him, his eyes and a centimeter wide strip of the middle of his face just barely visible in the light through the helmet. He thought perhaps to improve their professional relationship, since it was well known that he had a rivalry with Boushh.

"How did you catch the wookie?"

"Professional secret." the translator rasped. "I heard you had Imperial help bringing in Solo." Fett couldn't see any of his face, so he couldn't read any expressions, just translated tone of voice. His helmet tipped slightly to the side.

"I gave them help." His voice betrayed a note of disgust. "And they lost both the wookie and a sweet little girl who was with him. Imperials couldn't catch a slow ruklan snail if they had a head start. But if you held on to the wookie long enough to get him here alive, you are truly impressive."

The translator snorted. "A good stunner always helps.

He hadn't made a move at the drink. The green-armored man shrugged inwardly, silently giving up his attempt to draw out the man. He stood and moved off in another direction, leaving the bounty hunter alone where he sat.

Several hours later, the party was still going on, Fett leaned over Boushh's shoulder. "Something for you to see. You'll like it." He indicated one of the dancing girls. Boushh shook his head and suddenly there were six guards surrounding him, guns drawn, as Fett disarmed him quickly. One of the guards, a black man, pulled the helmet off, revealing a young blond woman. Beth stared at Lando holding her helmet, then Jabba waved at his guards. "Bring her to me." Beth was pushed up in front of Jabba. His slimy tongue licked her cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I have powerful friends. You'll regret this."

Jabba laughed. "I'm sure. Perhaps they will pay for you as well."

Beth was forcibly carried out through another door by three men. The last thing she saw was Boba Fett approaching Jabba while the chained prince watched them carefully without seeming to. She was going to kill both him and Leia when they got back. She had argued that sending in more than one person who couldn't free themselves was a bad idea. Luke could, Leia could, and Lando could get Chewie out. Then Leia had pointed out the old stories about why one never borrowed money from Jabba, one's prettiest daughter was likely to end up as a pet on a chain until he tired of her and killed her. While Leia might be prettier, Jabba would be stupid to chain a known Jedi to himself. Beth would be a good candidate for the chain. And out in the open like that, she would be easy to free and arm. And they had considered that to be an unlikely event. Luke and Leia were absolutely certain about things. Beth was doubtful and yet, here she was. And she still wasn't sure what she had done to tip them off that she wasn't Boushh, unless Fett was one of the few people who knew that Boushh was actually dead.

His Highness Luke Organa of Alderaan watched the green-armored bounty hunter saunter off into the bowels of Jabba's fortress through the same door Beth had been dragged through. An indignant screech came from that direction as well. He could only guess as to what was happening to her. Probably the pet on a chain. And somehow he had to warn her about what happened to the other dancing girl.


	2. Chapter 2

Beth was in a room with four human guards as well as three women. She was sitting on the edge of a table, each limb restrained by a separate person as three others were stripping the bounty hunter' s armor off of her, when he sauntered in. He held the gaze of the others, then Boba pulled off his helmet and his armor. The undersuit of his armor was grey. He was big and handsome, swarthy, with black hair and glittering black eyes. He grabbed her chin.

" Hello there, sweet little girl." Beth wrenched her still-booted foot out of the grasp of the servant and planted it in Boba Fett's stomach with an indignant screech, missing her intended target by a few inches up. He fell back a couple paces, then returned, his expression one of a loving uncle reprimanding a recalcitrant child. He grabbed her face again, this time with both hands.

"I was wondering when we would be getting back together." One of the servants hissed at him. "Jabba wants no bruises."

Boba didn't even notice at the man. "I paid for this privilege and when we leave, for the privilege of collecting your price from the Empire. I expect we'll get to know each other much better, a little now and far more on the way, my sweet." One of the other men snorted as the bounty hunter kissed the struggling, but well-restrained girl. Boba smiled beatifically at Beth as he released her face. "Let's get you fancied up for Jabba now, shall we." They released her and suddenly she was free, bootless, dressed in the undersuit of her armor. She shot off the table, but the man she had been left alone with tripped her up easily. She fought desperately as he flipped her over on her stomach and bound her wrists, kneeling on her back to hold her down. Once done, he flipped her back. "It's more fun when I have to tie you up myself." He pursued as she scooted away from him, grabbing her as she actually gained her feet and forcing her back down, straddling her. "Go ahead and scream. I don't mind at all." He didn't appear to be even breaking a sweat and he still had the maddeningly beatific expression on his face. It didn't change even as she got her knee up forcefully into his groin, but his position changed and one leg held her thighs down as he ripped the undersuit and her underwear off of her. She did scream, cursing him, as he began to rape her.

She was mad. Really mad. Boiling mad. If they survived this, they were all going to die, except maybe Han and she just might kill him on general principles. And Jabba. And Boba Fett. Jabba's throne room had been very warm when she had been wearing the bounty hunter armor, but in only a metal bikini, two arm rings, boots and two scarves, it was downright cool. Her dishwater blond hair had been fixed up in a fancy braid with metal clips to match and the only other thing she wore was a neckpiece with a chain attached to it. The other end of the chain was in the hands of that sleeping mass of blubber. And she hurt. It had taken 8 people an hour and a half, with interruptions, to dress her and they had worked up a sweat. The act had roughly resembled trying to stuff a wookie into a meat grinder, but they had won. She looked sideways at the prince where he sat and caught him looking sideways at her. He quit the pretenses, leaned toward her as far as he could, given his chains, and whispered.

"Commins."

Beth glanced up at the sleeping blob and carefully moved toward the prince. They had planned ahead of time that all three situations were to look like separate attempts.

"What?" She was careful not to put any tension on the chain.

"Just before you came in, there was a girl on that chain. She objected too strenuously to being pawed and he fed her to the critter under that grate in the floor. Just thought I'd warn you."

"In other words, this is going to get really degrading, isn't it?"

The prince made a sympathetic face. "I'm sorry."

Beth's answer was sarcastic, and the prince was aware that she meant every word of it. "What are you sorry about. It's the people who talked me into this who're gonna die." The vehemence dropped out of her whisper. "Thanks for the warning. I'm going to scoot back up there before he wakes up and starts pulling." Luke nodded and tried to get back to the semicomfortable position he had found earlier while attempting to ignore the arousing way she was moving. Of course, that was the point of the outfit, the wearer couldn't move without it being arousing. He hoped Leia got here soon.

Unfortunately, Beth's movements did wake up the sleeping blob. And when he woke up, so did most everyone else. And very shortly, the party was in full swing again. Suddenly Beth was shoved onto the floor in front of Jabba's block. She didn't need a translation, she still understood the Huttese she'd spoken in childhood. Jabba jerked on the chain as she rose to kneeling.

"Dance."

The old Huttese came back swiftly. "My lord, I don't know how." Even she was horrified at how naturally the 'my lord' came out. "I'm a mechanic, I've never danced for a man before."

"Dance!"

"Please, my lord. I never learned." Jabba was turning red. She wasn't ready to die yet so she had to get his mind off dancing since she was just as proficient at the kind he wanted as she was at flying.

"My parents were freed working slaves. I was raised on a moisture farm here. I've never. . "

"You were born to slaves?" Jabba began reeling her in, mercifully pulling her onto the block rather than opening the floor. "Were they mine?"

She didn't answer. Her bare belly was pressed against Jabba's. His slimy paw touched a faded scar over her left breast from the beating on Cloud City. Then the paw moved. She had been very right about this getting degrading, in almost every sense of the word. She closed her eyes, determined to bear it; this was nothing compared to what had happened on Cloud City or earlier today when Boba Fett had come to help dress her; when, to her everlasting relief, the arrival of Jedi Knight Leia Skywalker was announced, causing Jabba to knock the message bearer, Bib Fortuna, off the slab and to release enough slack on the chain to allow Beth to turn around and sit down. The entire conversation had been in Huttese and she hoped that His Highness didn't understand it, although she was quite aware that he had been watching the whole thing. He really didn't need to know the complete circumstances of her birth.


	3. Chapter 3

Jabba spat in Huttese at Fortuna. "You weak minded fool. She's using an old Jedi mind trick."

Leia was dressed in a black semi-military tunic and trousers, with a coarse robe and hood over all. Her black hair was braided and wrapped around her head in a utilitarian fashion. She carried no weapons and the first person able to resist her had been Jabba.

"You will bring Captain Solo and the wookie to me."

Jabba laughed outright. "Your mind powers will not work on me, girl. I was killing your kind when being a Jedi meant something."

In serene certainty, Leia replied, "Nevertheless, I'm taking Captain Solo and his friends. You can either profit by this. . . or be destroyed. It's your choice. But I warn you not to underestimate my powers."

Threepio attempted to warn his mistress. "Mistress Leia, you're standing on. . ." But Jabba broke in.

"There will be no bargain, young Jedi. I shall enjoy watching you die." Leia reached out and a guard's pistol jumped into her hand. The guard jumped after it and the floor suddenly opened beneath them, dropping them both into the pit. Jabba's slab moved forward until he could see directly down into the pit, where the rancor was being released. A guard, Lando, stabilized her on the slab so she wouldn't fall off while it was moving. The small slab the prince was on moved as well, to give him a view of the entertainment. The beast ate the guard first, giving Leia a very short amount of time to plan. She picked up the long leg bone of a previous victim as the rancor turned and came after her. She wedged the bone in the creature's mouth and was dropped while it removed it. Hiding in a recess in the wall allowed her to locate the exit door in the part of the cave the rancor had come in from, and as it reached for her again, she slammed a rock on it's fingers and made a dash for the door, which opened onto bars. She turned around to face the oncoming rancor and saw the switch to close the center door. There wasn't enough time to reach it directly, but she hefted a skull at the switch, causing it to crash down on the beast's head. Both Beth and Luke breathed obvious sighs of relief, but Jabba was livid. He pulled on the chain so hard Beth thought he was going to strangle her. Leia, Han and Chewbacca were dragged back into the 'throne' room, all three well restrained.

Leia asked Han "Han! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Leia. Together again. There's Beth. And his Highness."

Beth choked out, fighting the neckpiece. "Hi."

"How are we doing?"

Leia actually grinned. "About the same as always."

Chewie growled. Han answered him. "That bad, eh."

3PO translated for Jabba, who had calmed down enough to give Beth a few inches leeway with the chain so she could breathe and was instead petting her like a lap gurchin.

"Oh dear. His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately."

Han remarked caustically. "Good, I hate long waits."

Threepio continued, "You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea and cast into the Pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc."

Han looked at Leia and shrugged. "Doesn't sound so bad."

Threepio went on. "In his belly you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a thousand years."

Han shook his head as Chewie barked something. "On second thought, let's pass on that."

Leia addressed Jabba. "You should have bargained, Jabba. That's the last mistake you'll ever make."

Jabba cackled evilly at her as the guards dragged them out of the room. Leia had a slight smile on her face, as did the prince, countered by concern on Beth's.

On Jabba's huge sail barge, the entire retinue had accompanied Jabba on this expedition, including his captive for ransom and his new pet. Luke couldn't actually see anything outside of the barge, but Beth had managed to pull away long enough to stare out an observation window at the skiff where Leia, Han and Chewie stood, surrounded by several guards, one of whom was Lando. Jabba pulled the chain tight and tugged Beth back over to him.

"Soon you will learn to appreciate me."

The skiff floated over the sand dunes that Leia remembered so well. Han turned towards her. "Is there supposed to be scenery?"

"Han, there's nothing to see. I used to live here, you know."

"You're going to die here, you know. Convenient. If this is your big plan, I'm not impressed yet."

Leia smiled. "Just stick close to Chewie and Lando. I've taken care of everything. Besides, it's his Highness's plan. Beth fought it all the way. We don't plan, remember? We run in halfcocked."

Han snorted. "Oh. . . great! This time he stupidly followed you in here like this. I suppose I should mention I love you before we die."

"I love you too, smuggler. Just stay close to Chewie and Lando and just maybe we'll be able to do something about that."

Over the pit, Threepio's voice was amplified over loudspeakers as he translated for Jabba.

"Victims of the almighty Sarlacc. His Excellency hopes that you will die honorably. But should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas."

Han shouted up to the barge. "Threepio, you tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us. Right?"

Chewie growled in agreement. Artoo appeared on the upper deck of the sail barge. Leia sighted him, and nodded.

"Jabba! This is your last chance. Free us or die."

Threepio moved away from the window to stand next to the young prince as the assembly rocked with laughter. Jabba cackled and then spoke into his comlink in Huttese.

"Move her into position." A guard released her wrists and prodded Leia onto the plank. She saluted Artoo as Jabba spoke into his comlink again.

"Put her in."

The guard prodded her and she jumped off the plank. Spinning around in midair, she caught the edge of the plank,which bent and threw her skyward. A complete flip and she landed in the skiff. She casually extended her arm and her lightsaber landed in her open palm. She ignited it and by the time the nearest guard had his gun, he was dead. The two others followed the first into the pit. Lando knocked the one next to him off the skiff and into the pit as Leia released Chewie from the binders restraining him.

On the barge, Luke had released his own chains, removed his lightsaber from Threepio's arm and before anyone realized anything was going on here as well, was taking out the guards on the barge. Beth climbed over the hulk of Jabba to get away from the blasters and the saber and found herself standing next to the power supply. She picked up a container nearby and slammed it down on the thing, plunging the deck into darkness. The end of her chain was actually attached to the slab in front of Jabba, but long enough to allow a dancing girl a lot of leeway, so it was long enough to throw back over Jabba's head again and pull. She put all her weight into it and pulled the chain taut around Jabba's neck. After an interminable time to her, pulling and pulling, the heaving bulk went motionless. Luke was working his way onto the upper deck, having cleared the observation deck of personnel. Artoo rolled back down, came over to Beth, cut her chain and zapped a small creature that was attacking 3PO. They moved to follow the prince up to the upper deck.

At the first sign of trouble, Boba Fett had ignited his rocket pack and flown over to the skiff containing the prisoners. Leia had taken care of three of the guards aboard the skiff by the time the bounty hunter landed. He aimed at her, but she sliced his gun in half before he could fire. Then Chewbacca was hit and in Leia's momentary distraction, the bounty hunter fired a cable at her, and it wrapped around her torso, pinning her arms to her body. She was still able to use her saber to deflect several shots from the other skiff, one into Boba Fett, rendering himunconscious momentarily, then cut the cable. The second skiff was closing in, all the guards aboard firing all guns at the combatants on the first skiff. She leaped across space to land onthe second skiff and began working through those guards. Boba Fett regained consciousness, stood, aimed at the saberwielding figure on the other skiff, and suddenly flew into the air as Han ignited his rocketpack with an accidental swing of a power battleprod. The bounty hunter hit the side of the barge, bounced off and rolled into the Sarlacc' mouth. The creature burped approvingly. A shot from a deck gun on the barge tilted the skiff, knocking Lando over the side. He hung onto a mass of wires and tried unsuccessfully to climb up.

The deck gun on the barge was trained on the prisoner's skiff. Han was hanging over the side, trying to reach Lando when the next shot hit, knocking him completely over the side as well. Chewbacca caught his legs before he could become the Sarlacc's next meal. Han had managed to keep hold of the battleprod. He turned it off and offered the muzzle to Lando, who couldn't reach it. Lando tried crawling up the side of the pit and just before he touched the prod, a tentacle wrapped around his ankle, pulling him slowly back down. Han yelled back up to Chewie, who held him with one hairy arm and handed down a blaster. Lando almost panicked, if he could be any more frightened.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Trust me."

Lando had no choice, but he could swear Han was aiming at him. "Just a little higher, a little higher." Han fired, hitting the tentacle 6 inches below Lando's foot. The thing unwrapped, Lando crawled up and caught Han's hand and Chewbacca pulled them all up into the listing skiff.

Luke was making headway into the armed personnel on the upper deck. One good shot got him in the artificial hand, but didn't do enough damage to incapacitate it. The shooter had the next shot deflected back into him and fell over the side into the sand. As Luke got farther away from the ramp, the two droids, and then Beth skulked up. She picked up a gun from a felled guard, dived behind a case of something, then worked her way to one of the two deck guns. She caught them from behind, so intent they were on the man wielding the saber that was deflecting every shot they sent his way. Two quick shots and the deck gun was no longer aimed at Luke, but at the rigging between the two guns. Her second shot from the big gun took out the other deck gun. Luke slashed two more guards, discovered there was no others on the deck and yelled at Beth.

"Point it at the deck." Beth complied, and Artoo pushed Threepio off the side of the barge, following him down, beeping madly. Luke holstered his saber, wrapped a rope from the rigging around his right arm and motioned to Beth. He gathered her in his left arm and felt the soft kiss she placed on his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He kicked the trigger on the deck gun and jumped as the gun exploded into the deck.

The two of them swung on the swaying rope all the way down to the escort skiff containing at this point one Jedi and one soon to be dead guard. She finished with him, grabbed the rudder and steered them over to the prisoner's skiff, where Chewbacca, Han and Lando were crawling back on board. Luke and Beth helped them on board the escort skiff and Leia was just about to go pick up the droids, when Beth unexpectedly panicked.

"Leia, the detonator." She looked terrified.

Leia released the rudder, snatched Lando's decorated knife out of its sheath, and appeared to attack Beth, knocking the girl to her stomach in the middle of the small deck. Leia's eyes were closed and she was running her hand up and down the nearly naked girl's body, from neck to knees. She settled on a spot on Beth's left flank, just below the ribs and started cutting. Beth whimpered and involuntarily flinched in pain, as Leia cut deeper. Leia gave a curt order.

"Someone hold her down flat. Keep her from moving." Luke and Lando each grabbed one of Beth's arms and pushed her chest into the deck and Chewbacca held her legs, as Leia continued cutting, then reached into the wound. She pulled out a small metallic object and flung it at the sail barge. It exploded in the air halfway there. Leia stood up, handed Lando his knife back, wiped her hands on her cloak and commented.

"Now we can go." Lando took the rudder as she added, "Don't forget the droids." She turned back to where Luke was helping Beth to her feet. They cut Luke's inner robe, made of a softer fabric than either the outer robe or Leia's, to pack the wound and then wrapped it around Beth's middle to hold the packing in place. Chewbacca growled something. Han wanted to know the same thing.

"What was that all about?"

Beth was lowered back down, leaning against the railing. "Escape prevention device. Every slave has one implanted somewhere on their body. Try to escape and they blow you up. And just for social purposes, there is never an implant scar, just a removal scar, so you never forget what you once were."

"Oh." A pause. "How rude." Han said uncomfortably, Luke pulled Han over. "Sit down and rest with her while we check supplies and get the heck back to the ships. Nice to see you again."

Han sat down and let Beth lie down with her head in his lap as Luke covered her with the senatorial robes. "I guess I really owe you kids. Leia said this was your plan, but somehow I think everyone was involved. And it worked." He patted Beth's bare arm. "Not a bad view either." Beth hurt too much at the moment to hit him. Luke smiled and moved off to help check the perimeter and supplies. Leia found the med kit shortly thereafter and by the time the skiff ran out of fuel, 10 kilometers from the Falcon, in the middle of the Tatooine night, Beth and Chewie, whose wounds hadn't been helped by pulling Han and Lando back onto the skiff, could make the walk. The last kilometer was done blindly in a sandstorm, holding hands and following Artoo, who followed the homing beacon. First Threepio, then Leia leading Han, then Luke supporting Beth and finally Lando supporting Chewbacca. Beside the Falcon was Leia's X-wing and the 2-seater Y-wing that C-3PO and Luke had come in. The bounty hunter's ship, piloted by the 'prisoner' Chewbacca, that had brought Beth and Chewbacca to Jabba's, remained there. They all entered the Falcon, to rest and eat before they left. Not only that, but Beth needed help to get out of the metal bikini and both she and Chewbacca needed a little more time with the medkits.


	4. Chapter 4

Leia helped Han clean up and change clothes and filled him in on all the interesting things that had happened since he'd been gone. He was somewhat interested in Leia's secondhand description of Luke's training and of the adventure of the escape from Cloud City, where the alliance was going now and anything she could think of before she told him what Luke had learned from Yoda and from Vader. It was still hard for her to deal with the idea that Vader was her father, and few people actually knew anything more than that she and Luke were siblings, except Beth, Chewbacca, Lando and Mon Mothma. So she finally just said it.

"Luke learned from this Yoda that we, me and him, are twins, separated at birth to protect us from the Emperor."

"Siblings?"

"Yes, to protect us from the Emperor and our father."

"Anakin Skywalker. I thought he was dead."

"No. He became Darth Vader."

"What?" Han was incredulous.

"I'm not happy about it, but that's what happened. I wish it were otherwise, but being Luke's sister isn't so bad. There are worse people to be siblings with."

"I'll agree with that." Han reached for her, pulled her close, one hand behind her head, his fingers sliding into the lower parts of the sandy wrapped braids, and kissed her like he'd been wanting to, but didn't dare try, for quite a long time. When they came up for air, he looked into her eyes and said, "I seem to remember you saying something about loving me too. If you mean it the way Beth meant it when she said it in the cell, I'm gonna be real disappointed."

Leia's face crinkled into a grin. "His highness's going to be jealous if you've been messing around with his girl."

"What about you?"

"I might just have to kill my friend if she's messing around with my guy."

Han grinned back at her and drew her in for another kiss.

His Highness ended up using wirecutters to get the outfit off of Beth. The wire straps left red sores on her hips, shoulders and back. He treated those and redid the dressing on her back as she lay on her stomach on one of the bunks in the other sleeping area. When he was done, he wrapped her in a blanket and helped her sit up.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah. You're not a bad medic. Now where are my clothes."

He lifted her into a chair he'd set out. "Don't you want to get the sand out of your hair?" He undid the metal clips and untied the blond braids.

Beth let him. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Starved. But there are things I need to do first." He was brushing her hair out and sand scattered on the floor.

"Like what?" Beth pulled the blanket in tighter around herself.

"Take care of you. I haven't been alone with you for more than three minutes in over a month, maybe longer" He let her chew on that while he finished with the sand-removal.

"Oh, yeah. Han sends his apologies. We were going to save Boba Fett for you, but Han accidentally set off the rocket pack with a battle prod and apparently, the guy flew straight into the Sarlacc's mouth. Since we figured that was where you were going to push him anyway, we thought we'd just leave him there rather than fish him out for you."

Beth's face brightened. "That was nice of you guys, to think of me. Of course, I had thought maybe to do a couple things to him first, but it's better this way. Bastard invited himself to my second questioning session on Cloud City. I figured out he'd been one of the troopers while Jabba's people were stuffing me into that. . " She paused, looking for a suitable word, found none that truly expressed her feelings and continued. "damnable thing. He took his helmet off for both the festivities. I didn't know who he was until he came in with the armor on at Jabba's"

Luke moved her hair and kissed the back of her neck. "He's dead and not coming back. You're going back to the fleet in an hour or so and Leia and I will be along after we go see Yoda. You don't have to think about that anymore."

"You guys were right."

"No. If we had seen most of what was going to happen to you, you wouldn't have gone in. No one deserves that." He had come around to the front of the chair, knelt, and was holding her face in his hands. "I am really sorry about what they put you through. I have a recognizable face and that would have kiboshed me as the bounty hunter. We talked about that. Besides, Jabba had to believe we were all working separately or he would have killed people then and there rather than wait."

Beth pushed her arm out of the blanket and touched Luke's cheek. "No one deserves lots of things, but innocents still get killed and worse. It worked, we're all out and we're all alive and together." She slid her hand behind his neck and pulled him to her. Her kiss was sad. He put his arms around her and the blanket and kissed her back. He moved carefully, avoiding her injuries and lifted her back onto the bunk. His own clothes were sandfilled, so he stripped down to his underwear before getting in with her. For the longest time, he just held her, putting them both into a light healing trance, searching for the wounded places in her body and psyche, letting the force flow in to help close them. Then, when he judged it would do far more good, he kissed her again.

Looking well-pleased with themselves, Han and Leia showed up back in the cockpit about an hour after first boarding. Luke appeared 45 minutes later, alone and attempting not to look pleased with himself. The rest of them were eating. Lando called the prince's bluff.

"Where's Beth?"

Luke grabbed a tray. "She's sleeping."

"Tired her out, did you, getting her out of that mostly not there outfit. Or just afterward."

"Had to use wire cutters on the damn thing." He sat down, took a bite and realized everyone was still looking at him. He swallowed. "Hey people, I'm not giving you a blow by blow account of the last two hours. If you really want to know what we said and did, you can check the computer. There's a program set up to record, for security reasons, everything that goes on

on and around this ship." The expressions around the table were priceless and suddenly, everyone was staring at Han rather than the prince. Luke smiled to himself. He knew the program was there, he'd set it up himself just before leaving the Falcon unattended for this most recent adventure. If someone was going to mess with the ships, he hadn't wanted it to be a surprise. He'd also turned it off before he'd gone in back with Beth.

Han stared back at the others looking at him. "What's everyone staring at me for? I didn't put any such thing in. Besides, if I had, it wouldn't have recorded what you're thinking of. Look at Lando."

Leia was watching Luke, who was calmly eating. He saw her watching him, smiled and winked at her. Leia shook her head and went back to eating as Lando, Han and Chewbacca argued. When she was done, she quietly went back to check on Beth, who hadn't come out yet.

Beth was getting dressed and moving quite well for someone who had had unsterile surgery less that 24 hours ago.

"How you feeling, Beth?"

"Pretty good. You two leaving?"

"In a little bit. Luke promised to go back and I want to talk to Yoda too. We'll hurry. Luke said the fleet should be assembled soon. It's up to you to get these smugglers there in time, Lieutenant."

Beth mock saluted, then zipped the jumpsuit up the rest of the way. "Yes ma'am, Commander. I will hurry them to the best of my ability."

Leia hugged her. "Are you sure you're really all right?"

Beth nodded. "Yeah. Luke can do those healing trances too, you know. But I'll stop by Medical when we get back, just for you." She was braiding her hair quickly and efficiently, then pinned it around her head. "Looks like Han was glad to see you. Your hair is mussed."

Leia grinned. "So it is. Luke's out there giving them hell for bugging him about what you two were doing."

"Good for him. Come on, I'm hungry. Did you guys leave anything for me?"

"Not if you don't hurry."


	5. Chapter 5

The Falcon swerved right before hitting lightspeed, the X- and Y-wings swerved left, as Luke and Leia promised to hurry.

Luke led Leia through the swamp and forest to where Yoda's little house was. They left the droids with the ships and waded unhurried through the swamp. They found the little house, with the small occupant still there. Luke did his best to hide his expression at how weak the small Master looked. Luke and Leia were crammed into a corner of the house, spacious if one was a half-meter in height, horribly cramped otherwise. Leia let him do the talking.

Yoda commented. "Hmmm. That face you make? Look I so old to young eyes?"

Luke's woeful expression instantly transformed itself to a guilty looking serene expression. "No. Of course not."

Yoda chuckled. "I do, yes, I do. Sick have I become. Old and weak." He pointed a crooked finger at the pair. "When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not. Hmm?" He hobbled over to his bed and sat down with great effort.

Luke glanced at Leia, who sat quietly.

"I've come back to complete the training. We need your help."

"No more training do you require, either of you. Already know you that which you need."

Leia spoke suddenly. "Then we are Jedi, he and I."

Yoda sighed, lying back on his bed. "Ohhh. Not yet. One thing remains. You must confront Vader. Then, only then, Jedi will you be. And confront him you will."

Luke glanced at Leia again, then screwed up his courage. "Is Vader really our father.?"

An odd sad smile crossed Yoda's face. His eyes were tired and full of compassion.

"Know you must, must you?. Your father he is. Told you, did he?"

"Yes." Luke answered."

A new look of concern crossed Yoda's face. "Unexpected this, and unfortunate."

"Unfortunate that we know the truth?" Leia asked.

"No. . . . . Unfortunate that you rushed to face him. That incomplete was your training, young prince. That not ready for the burden were you, neither of you."

Luke stared at his feet. "I'm sorry."

"Remember, a jedi's strength flows from the Force . But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." Yoda's voice grew faint. "Luke, Leia. Do not . . . do not underestimate the powers of the Emperor or suffer your father's fate you will. Work together. The Force runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned. Train your children."

Before their eyes, the ancient green creature caught his breath, closed his eyes, and disappeared.

Luke and Leia walked back in silence to the swamp where the ships were sitting, R2 and the prince's green droid beeping greetings at them. Their depressed masters ignored them, and finally just sat down on a log.

Luke commented to Leia. "I guess I know how you felt when Kenobi died. I guess I didn't expect Yoda to die. I thought he'd be here."

Leia smiled sadly. "We forget things change. On the other hand, at least we aren't completely alone. Imagine if we didn't have each other."

Luke nodded. "That's true, but it still seems like an awfully big job."

Leia looked over her shoulder and nudged Luke to look. Obiwan Kenobi was approaching them through the mist, himself little more than a glowing wraith. He sat next to them on the log.

"Yoda will always be with you, as will I."

Leia tried not to look accusing. "Why didn't you tell me in all those years. You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father."

"Your father was seduced by the dark side of the force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man that was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true. . . from a certain point of view."

Leia snorted. "A certain point of view?" then she stopped. "I really wasn't ready, was I?"

Kenobi's answer was kindly and comforting. "No, you weren't ready. Your father was a good friend. When I first knew him, he was already a great pilot. We were amazed at how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong."

Luke said suddenly, "There is still good in him." Leia stared at him for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Kenobi answered.

"He's more machine than man now. Twisted and evil."

"I'm not sure I can kill him anymore. I think Leia agrees. We're not sure we can kill our father. A year ago, two, no problem, I wouldn't have thought twice. Now, I don't know."

Ben's ghost turned to Leia and noted the same expression on her face.

"If you cannot defeat Vader, then the Emperor has already won. You two are our only hope. I know Yoda admonished you to train your children, but that will be too late. But when you face him, you must bury your feelings deep. They do you credit, but can be made to serve the Emperor."


	6. Chapter 6

Vader arrived on the partially completed moon-sized battle station. The station's Commander, already feeling completely overwhelmed by what he was to do with so few people compared to the size of the project, was horrified to learn that the Emperor was coming to personally witness the completion of the project. Visions of a terribly painful death crossed his mind as he assured Lord Vader that everyone on the station would redouble their efforts to get the thing finished. Once rumors flew that the Emperor was coming, they would probably do even more.

* * *

The main briefing room on the headquarters frigate was crowded, filled to bursting with the rebel commanders and their lieutenants. Wedge Antilles leaned against the rail of the top level so he could see into the pit of the room where the holographic image of the half-completed Imperial Death Star rotated with the nearby planet, moon, and deflector shield. Lando and Han met at the base of the pit, where aides were preparing for the speech by Mon Mothma. Han was amused by the insignia attached to the uniform shirt Lando now wore with his blue cape.

"Well, look at you, a general, huh?"

Lando shrugged, "Someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the Battle of Taanab."

Han answer was sarcastic, but friendly. "Well, don't look at me. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were lookin' for someone to lead this crazy attack."

Lando snorted. "I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it."

"Who says they didn't? But I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?" They sat down on one of the lowest benches.

Beth joined Wedge on his perch and stared down at the image. He winked at her.

"You crazy too? By the way, congrats on the commission. Don't think I mentioned it before."

"Thanks. Yep. Heard you're Red Leader as always. Strike team. I was recommended by Madine. . . " She cut off as Mon Mothma, a handsome woman in her fifties and the Alliance leader, signalled for attention. The room fell silent.

"The Emperor has made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come." The silence of the room was broken by the excited shifting of bodies in seats. "The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station. We also know that the weapon systems of the Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial fleet spread throughout the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But most important of all, we've learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of construction of this Death Star. Many Bothans died to bring us this information. Admiral Ackbar, please."

The salmon-colored Mon Calamari Admiral stepped forward and indicated the model.

"You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest moon of Endor. Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, it does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield which is generated from the nearby forest moon of Endor. The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted. Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor. General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack."

Han's sarcastic 'Good luck' was tempered by the look of respect on his face. Lando returned the look and Han added, "You're gonna need it."

Ackbar called General Madine, a Corellian about the same age as Mon Mothma, to the center stage. Madine changed the model to that of an Imperial shuttle.

"We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator."

The assembly began to mumble, no one noticing the pair that stood unobtrusively in the doorway on the lowest level.

Lando leaned over to Han. "I wonder who they found to pull that off."

General Madine turned to look at Han. "General Solo, is your strike team assembled?"

Han gulped, ignoring the staring people around him. "Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle."

Chewbacca raised his hairy paw to volunteer, then slapped Han so hard across the back that he barely saved himself from landing on the floor. Han looked up at his copilot.

"It's gonna be rough, paI. I didn't want to speak for you."

Chewie waved it off with a huge growl. From the doorway a voice came. "You can count us in too." The crowd parted to let Leia and the prince in. Chewbacca grabbed them and forced them to sit one on either side, setting Leia between him and Han. Han grinned and slid his arm around the young woman.

"That will just about do it, Sir"

Madine smiled. "Then we should get moving." The assembly broke up, moving toward the doors. Beth fought the crowd, eventually reaching the pit floor, and threw herself at Luke, who caught her happily. She kissed him hard, whispered something in his ear, and pushed away from him. "I got too much work to do right now, gotta brief the team before the General gets there." She waved a computer notepad in the general direction of Han. "See you all in a bit." and ran out the door Luke and Leia had entered by.

Luke and Leia stared after her, then looked at Han, who pushed passed them to leave.

"Come on people. Now that we've all chosen to die young, we've got work to do."

They all headed out.

* * *

The strike team was loading the stolen imperial shuttle, Lando was preparing for the attack with his squad leaders, Leia was off somewhere doing something, Han was directing the loading team, he had absolutely no idea where Chewbacca was right now and the prince himself was parked on the nose of his fighter taking a well-earned fifteen minute break. Beth was involved in moving supplies into the shuttle, the entire loading team's back to him, about 15 meters away. He watched them, and at the same time, let himself feel the force around the ship. Where his touch passed Leia, there was a bright star; Han was a pleasant nothingness, like most normal people. Leia's star reached out and batted him away, Han had no reaction, like most normal people as well. Beth was so insensitive to it that she couldn't even sense when someone was staring at her back. He felt over the hangar, careful not to intrude on those who could sense him, then let it flow over the strike team. He could hear the conversation, listened a moment and moved on.

Luke returned attention to the force flow over the group of people. He passed over them once, then again as he felt another star. A tiny one, very bright, very immature, but one he'd never detected before. It too reached out to touch his wave, and at the same time, he could see Beth stiffen and turn around to look at him. She smiled and shook her head, turned back around and spoke to the woman next to her, who glanced back at him as well. He passed over yet again, and then recognized where and what the star was. He jumped off the nose of the fighter as Han called a break for the loading team. Luke came up over Beth where she had collapsed to the ground with the rest of the group.

He stared down at her as she grinned up at him. "We need to talk for a moment."

"Sure." Beth made no attempt to stand.

"In some degree of privacy." He wasn't smiling and suddenly she wasn't either.

"Okay." Beth stood up and looked at Han flat on his back a few feet away. Han nodded.

"Use the Falcon." Beth followed Luke. A minute later they were in a cargo bay of the Falcon. She looked up at him expectantly.

Luke said what he was thinking flat out. "I don't want you to go."

Beth stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, then her temper got the better of her.

"You imperious. . . Just because I can't fly, you think I'm helpless. Fine, give me 30 seconds alone with your fighter and you won't be flying either and it'll take you six hours to figure out why. Give me a minute and a half and you'll blow up under attack and never know why and I'm not even the absolute best mechanic. I actually have command responsibilities on this mission, I was recommended, I got it on my own, not because I'm Leia's friend or your girlfriend. Don't you dare mess this up for me." Luke actually backed up under the force of the tirade. Now he had to both placate her and convince her not to go. He put up his hands.

"Beth, it's not that. I love you. I don't want to lose you. I just want you someplace safe."

Her anger started to ebb. "It's not any safer up here. Three good shots from a star destroyer and this ship is gone. You really think there won't be a defense of an unarmed station? Besides, what about you? What about me losing you?"

He gave up on his original plan. "You win. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to talk you out of going. Marry me."

Her anger was gone. She just stared, speechless again, he noted.

"Now. Please." he added.

Beth found her voice again. "This is awful sudden."

"No, it isn't. I've been thinking about it for a long time, waiting for the perfect moment and I finally figured out that there is no perfect moment. If I wait for that, I'll die a bachelor. So marry me before we go or as soon as we get back." He'd pulled the signet ring off his right hand and was clutching it as he grabbed her left hand. He stood there a moment as Beth opened, then shut her mouth, then he dropped to one knee.

"Please, marry me."

Beth laughed, but didn't pull her hand away. He looked ridiculously solemn. "Yes. I'll marry you. We can hunt up the offical as soon as we get back. Now will you stand up before Lando or Han comes in."

"Too late." a voice from the door intoned, fighting back its own laughter. Han was standing there. She had barely enough time to register who it was before Luke was on his feet and pulling her in for a kiss. She struggled briefly, then gave in. After he thoroughly kissed her, Luke tried to put the ring on her finger, but it was too big. Beth pulled out the chain that Tether's ring was on from under her jumpsuit.

"Put it on here and we can get it fixed when we get back. You better come back."

"You're damn tootin' he better come back cause Leia's going in with him and I have this nagging feeling that if both don't come back, neither will. Congratulations. It's about time." Han clapped Luke on the back and gave Beth a hug. "Dodonna's looking for His Highness here and I'm looking for you, girl. It looks bad when the lieutenant takes a long break." Beth glanced from one to the other and headed out the door. Luke caught Han as he was about to follow.

"Take care of her if I don't come back."

Han was about to give a flippant answer when he actually registered the expression on the prince's face. He said seriously.

"Luke. She isn't helpless." He paused a moment. "Did I miss something?" He paused again, then, confused by the hint of panic in the younger man's eyes, he fell back on a touch of levity. "I'll marry her myself. I can handle both Leia and her at the same time. Always wanted two women waiting on my every whim. Chewie might get a little jealous though." He was relieved to see the panic fade out of Luke's expression, and the tension broke. Luke smiled. They hugged, then headed out to where they were supposed to be.

* * *

Just before they left, Han caught Leia's attention and pulled her into a quiet corner.

"What can I do for you, smuggler."

Han grinned. "I've been thinking, maybe we should see about making our relationship a tad more official. Besides, if we wait for the perfect moment, it'll never come."

Leia peered at him suspiciously. "Are you asking what I think you are asking? If so, what brought this on?"

Han grinned wider, making up for his nervousness. "I'm asking you to marry me. I had too much time in Fett's ship and the cell at Jabba's to think about it." his eyes slid away from hers, then back. "And I got the idea from Luke, who realized the same thing about 30 minutes ago. I walked in on him proposing to Beth. . . You want me on my knees?"

Leia laughed at the vision. "No. I'll marry you when we get back. By the way, was Luke on his?"

"Yeah, he even had a ring. Of course, if he doesn't come back, I promised to marry Beth too."

"You did? What does Beth think about that." Leia was eyeing him suspiciously again.

"She doesn't know. I was teasing and he knows it. He's just worried about her. I'm not all that thrilled about you running off with him and challenging Vader either, but I'm not stupid enough to try to talk you out of it. Just promise me you'll come back and not stay there."

"I think I can keep that promise. I won't change sides at this point."

"Good. Give me a kiss and let's go."

Leia did and they did.


	7. Chapter 7

In the cockpit of the imperial shuttle, Chewbacca was fussing about the size of the chair. Luke was behind Han's chair, checking everything. Leia came in and sat down behind Chewie, then Han showed up.

"Everything's stowed in the back and the team is ready."

He sat down and Chewie muttered as he worked the controls. Han's usual style was highly subdued as he answered.

"I don't think they had Wookies in mind when they designed this."

They took off.

* * *

The team moved through the forest quietly and carefully, so as to surprise anyone they come up against. Suddenly, at the crest of the hill they were climbing, Luke and Leia, who were in front dropped to the ground, signaling the rest of the team to follow suit. Han and Chewie joined them, then Beth wormed her way up to look over the edge. She signaled to the rest of the troops, who stopped crawling upward. There were two speederbike troopers standing in the bushes.

"Should we try and go around?" Leia asked.

"It'll take time. This whole party'll be for nothing if they see us. Chewie and I'll take care of this. You stay here."

"Quietly. There might be more of them out there." Luke added.

"Hey. . . It's me."

Luke and Leia exchanged smiles and Beth rolled her eyes as Han and Chewie crept down the hill. Just before Han reached the first trooper, he stepped on a twig. The trooper whirled and knocked Han into a tree, sending his companion for help as Luke and Leia dashed down the hill to help. Chewie hit the retreating scout with a crossbow bolt, causing his bike to explode and two other troopers took off as Leia leapt on the empty bike they'd left behind. Luke barely made it on behind her. Han finally knocked out his opponent as the rest of the team moved down to clear the area.

* * *

Luke crept back into the clearing. He heard a whistle, then Han stepped out as the rest of the team did as well, guns drawn. Beth dropped from a bushy branch that had hidden her, to the ground in front of him. Han looked beyond Luke and asked.

"Where's Leia."

"She's not here? We got separated." Luke and Han stared at each other for a moment, then Han spoke.

"Then we better go look for her." He signaled to Beth

"Take the squad on ahead. We'll meet at the shield generator at oh-three-hundred."

She saluted and the two groups separated.

* * *

As Luke and the two Ewoks crept in toward the generator rendezvous point, a shrill bird call pierced the air. One of the ewoks disappeared into the underbrush as Luke and the other continued forward. There was no one there, at all. Then something moved in the brush to Luke's left, and he whirled, drawing his saber, as something dropped to the forest floor behind him. The light of the saber illuminated Beth's face in the gathering gloom of the early evening. She whistled again, the shrill bird call. The rest of the team stepped out of bushes or dropped out of trees, except one from the moving bush on the left, who was pushed out at spearpoint by the missing ewok, to the amusement of his fellows. Luke relaxed.

"We've found Leia and some allies. They're going to help us attack the imperials. We're going to their village, otherwise, we're still on schedule." They moved out.

* * *

It was pitch black by the time they reached the Ewok village. Han and Leia were working with 3PO to make the final arrangements with the small furries and they filled the rest of the team in on the plan. Throughout the short lecture, Luke and Leia kept exchanging glances, then when it was done and Han and Beth were busy directing the reloading of the packs, the siblings drew apart over to the side.

Luke glanced into the forest. "It's time to go, can you feel it?"

"Yeah." Leia nodded. "Guess we'd better say goodbye. You first."

Luke stepped over to Beth and tapped her on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you?"

The rest of the team didn't seem to need much direction, so she followed him over to where Leia was, then beyond her onto a platform extending behind the chief's hut out over the chasms between the trees. He held both her hands in his.

"We have to go now. Leia and I have to face Vader. There is still good in him, we can feel it. Besides, if we stay much longer, we'll endanger the mission. You and Han and the team will do just fine and Leia and I will go upstairs and deal with Vader." He sounded ever so much more sure of himself than he felt. "We'll see you back at the fleet when this is all over."

Beth rolled her eyes. "You and Leia, I swear. You make this sound so easy. We'll just go up there, defeat the Emperor, and turn Vader back without even breaking a sweat. We're Jedi and we can do anything."

"He's our father, we have to try." Luke tried not to lose his patience.

Beth looked away, contrite. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I'm just scared to death something's going to happen to you and Leia, either he kills you or turns you. Either way, you wouldn't come back. I just don't want to lose you like I lost Tether. I don't think I could stand it."

Luke drew her into his arms, hugging her fiercely. "I'm coming back. Death couldn't stop me."

Han had followed Beth over and was intercepted by Leia a short distance away from the other two.

"It's time, isn't it." he asked

"Yeah. We'll be back."

"Yes, you will be, or Beth and I are coming up there after you two." Han grinned at her, a determined grin all the same. "You go do what you have to do, we'll do our job down here and we'll meet you when we're all done."

Leia smiled and they kissed. They separated, then Luke and Beth separated and Han and Beth watched the siblings head off into the night. When they could no longer see Luke and Leia, they headed back to finish with the prep for the attack.


	8. Chapter 8

Darth Vader strode down the ramp of the imperial shuttle to the platform on the green moon. All the armaments looked highly out of place in the middle of the lush jungle. He was met at the elevator by a group of imperial stormtroopers and a young woman and young man, both in binders. The commander saluted. "These two rebels surrendered to us. They claim that they are the only ones, but we would like permission to continue the search for others."

"Permission granted." Vader looked at the pair, then turned to the commander, who handed the two sabers. "They were armed only with these, my lord." "Good work, commander. Leave us, conduct your search and bring their companions to me," The commander saluted and led his group away, leaving the three alone on the ramp.

"The Emperor has been expecting you." Vader intoned.

Leia answered calmly, "We know, Father."

"So you both have accepted the truth."

"That you were once Anakin Skywalker, our father, yes." Leia looked his mask in the eyes as she responded.

"That name no longer has any meaning for me."

Luke's voice had a slightly pleading quality, "It is the name of your true self. You've only forgotten. We know there is good in you still. The Emperor hasn't yet driven it from you fully. That was why you couldn't destroy me and that is why you won't take us to the Emperor now."

Vader turned the two sabers over in his hands, igniting first Leia's green blade, shutting it down after a few seconds, then carefully inspecting the glowing blue blade of Luke's saber, recently constructed to replace Anakin Skywalker's, lost on Bespin. "I see you have constructed a new lightsaber. Your skills are complete. Indeed you are powerful as the Emperor has foreseen." His mask glanced from the saber to the young prince and back again.

"Come with us." Luke offered Vader shook his head.

"Obi-wan once thought as you do. You don't know the power of the dark side. I must obey my master."

"We will not turn. . . You will be forced to kill us." Leia answered defiantly "

If that is your destiny. . ."

Leia's voice took on the same slightly pleading quality as Luke's had earlier. "Search your feelings, Father. You can't do this. I feel the conflict within you. Let go of your hate."

"It is too late for me, Daughter." He signaled to some distant stormtroopers. "The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now."

"Then our father is truly dead." Leia's voice was mournful.

* * *

Han, Beth, Chewie, the droids, and two Ewoks, Wicket and Paploo, peered over the ridge at the massive imperial shield generator. There was a landing pad at the base of it. Beth studied it for a bit, then looked up at Han. "This is impossible. The main entrance is on the far side of that landing platform. We need another way in."

"Hey, don't worry. Chewie and I got into places much more heavily guarded than this." Han was showing his bravado and trying to formulate a good plan for an impossible entrance at the same time.

"Of course you did, usually by tractor beam, I'll bet." Beth deadpanned. She was using the binocs, scanning the base of the ridge. Directly behind them, the Ewoks were chattering away in their language, then they spoke to Threepio.

"What's he saying," Han asked Threepio.

"He says there's a secret entrance on the other side of the ridge." The small group rejoined the rest of the strike team and followed their small guides around the ridge to the back door. They spread out through the thick undergrowth, where they could see the bunker door and the four imperial scouts that were keeping guard.

"Back door, huh? Good idea." Han commented quietly to Chewbacca, then to Beth. "It's only a few guards. This shouldn't be too much trouble."

She looked at him sideways. "It only takes one to sound the alarm."

Han gave her a self-confident grin. "Then we'll do it real quiet-like."

Paploo disappeared into the underbrush. Wicket chattered at Threepio, who tapped Beth on the arm. "Oh! Oh my, Uh, Mistress Elizabeth!" Beth shushed him. Threepio lowered his voice. "I'm afraid our furry companion has gone and done something rather rash." The company watched in distress as Paploo slipped out of the undergrowth near where the imperial scouts were lounging.

Han sighed. "There goes our surprise attack."

Paploo silently climbed onto one of the speeder bikes and began flipping switches at random. Suddenly the bike's engine fired up with a tremendous roar, eliciting unheard gasps from the rebel contingent. The scouts turned to the bikes and raced toward Paploo just as the speeder bike took off. The Ewok hung on by his paws and shot off into the forest. Three of the scouts hopped onto their bikes and followed Paploo into the forest while the fourth watched them go. The rebels exchanged delighted looks. Han grinned. "Not bad for a little furball. There's only one left." He turned to Wicket. "You stay here, we'll handle this."

Threepio announced to the Ewoks. "I have decided that we will stay here!" Han crept up behind the remaining trooper, tapped him on the shoulder and allowed him the chase him into the arms of the waiting Rebel strike team. The team carefully and silently entered the bunker, taking out several more guards on their way to the control room.

* * *

The emperor was seated in a throne-like chair in front of a blister window, his hood shadowing most of his face. He spoke as Vader led Luke and Leia into the room. "Welcome young prince. I have been expecting you." He made a casual gesture at Luke. "You no longer need those" Luke's binders obediently dropped off onto the floor. Then the Emperor dismissed the other guards. "Guards, leave us." He returned his attention to the prince as the trio was walking up the stairs. "I'm looking forward to completing your training. In time, you will call me master."

Luke frowned soberly and declared. "You're gravely mistaken. You won't convert us as you did Anakin Skywalker."

The Emperor smiled, stood and met them at the edge of the slightly raised dias his throne was on. "Oh, no, my young Jedi. It is you who will find that it is you who are mistaken. . . about a great many things."

"Their lightsabers." Vader offered his master the weapons taken from the pair.

The Emperor took both, and inspected Luke's. "Ah yes, a Jedi's weapon. Much like your father's. By now, you must know he can never be turned from the dark side. So will it be with you"

"You're wrong. Soon we'll be dead. . . And you with us." Luke announced.

The Emperor returned to his throne and sat back down, laying the sabers on his right armrest. "Perhaps you refer to the imminent attack of your Rebel Fleet." Luke's gaze shifted suddenly in reaction. The Emperor smiled. "Yes. . . I assure you we are quite safe from your friends here."

Luke calmed himself quickly. "Your overconfidence is your weakness."

The Emperor snarled. "Your faith in your friends is yours."

Vader intoned. "It is pointless to resist, my son."

The Emperor relaxed into his throne. "Everything that has transpired had done so according to my design. Your friends up there on the Sanctuary Moon ..." Luke glanced out of the windows in distress as the Emperor continued. "are walking into a trap. As is your Rebel fleet! It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them." Luke's chest tightened as Palpatine dropped the final shoe and laughed. "Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive."

* * *

The Strike team stormed the Control room, taking all the personnel prisoner and herding them away from their screens. Just as they finished setting the bombs, stormtroopers literally came out of the walls and in from outside. It was a short fight. One of the strike team actually got in a punch at one of the troopers before he was pistolwhipped and dragged outside, but no one else even reached their gun. Three had their legs kicked out from underneath them when they didn't move fast enough.

With their hands on their heads, the team was herded outside and Beth found herself shoved next to Han as the lieutenant slapped him. "Rebel scum." Then he looked down at the small female next to his prisoner. He pulled her left arm down, so he could look at the insignia on her shoulder. "Hmmm." He glanced around the Rebel group, his eyes picking out the other three females. "Bring the females over here."

He shoved her a short way away from the group, as three of his troopers pulled out Leslie, Anita, and Lyn, the twilek, and pushed them up with Beth. Han watched carefully as the imperial in charge circled the four women. The man stopped in front of them again. "Which one of you wants to take one for the team?"

That didn't sound good, but she was the second in command, highest ranking of the females, so it was her job. Beth spoke up. "I will."

The man shook his head. "You're an officer, I can promise you you'll be getting a turn. No." He looked at the other women, it was obvious he had some familiarity with the insignia of the rebellion, and pulled out Lyn, correctly identifying her as being of the lowest rank. He motioned toward four other minor officers. "Enjoy yourselves."

"No!" Beth leaped at the man, but he turned suddenly and his arm caught her in the shoulder and the neck, throwing her hard to the ground. Four of the male rebels moved forward, but were restrained as the troopers who had been watching the 'entertainment' turned their attention back to their prisoners.

The officer looked down at Beth as two troopers held the muzzles of their guns close to her face. "just be happy we don't have time to start your interrogation before the transport gets here." There was a screech from the twilek woman as the officers began to remove her uniform, but they were interrupted by a droid voice.

"Oh dear, are you looking for us." THreepio waved cheerily at the imperials and four troopers went toward him and Artoo. As they reached the droids, the Ewoks came over the ridge and started firing arrows at the Imperials. Amazingly effective ones, really, and things reversed rapidly.

* * *

"Come Boy, see for yourself," the emperor invited. Leia followed them up onto the dias, stopping behind Vader. The Emperor sneered at Luke. "From here you will witness the final destruction of the Alliance and the end of your insignificant rebellion." Luke was staring out the window at the fleet in unmitigated horror, his heart rate increasing rapidly. He glanced at the sabers, a move not missed by the dark-cloaked Emperor. "You want this, don't you?" He touched the sabers. "The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi Weapon. Use it. I am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger. With each passing moment, you make yourself more my servant."

Leia began edging around Vader as he and the Emperor focussed their attention on her brother. She also released but did not drop her manacles. Luke divided his attention between the fleet and the saber as little flashes of light signaled the beginning of the space battle. "No!" He cried in agony. The Emperor chuckled. "It is unavoidable. It is your destiny. You, like your father, are now mine."


End file.
